title: Midterm follow-up of quality of life following peripheral bypass surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peripheral bypass surgery is an important treatment option for patients with peripheral arterial disease. Short-term results of quality of life (QoL) after peripheral bypass surgery showed an increase in QoL at 3 months. Little is known about QoL at more than 2 years of follow-up. This study was performed to analyze QoL at midterm follow-up, and overall survival after peripheral bypass surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was part of a randomized control trial in which intermittent pneumatic compression was compared with compression stockings in the treatment of edema after bypass surgery. Patients completed a QoL questionnaire before surgery, 14 days and 3 months postoperatively, and at least 2 years after the original operation. A survival analysis was performed to calculate survival for patients who received both autologous and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) bypass grafts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The original study consisted of 93 patients, and QoL midterm follow-up was achieved for 42. QoL scores at midterm follow-up were comparable to the preoperative baseline scores for both the autologous and the PTFE groups. Three-year survival rates were 75% and 54%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although peripheral bypass surgery significantly increased QoL 3 months after surgery, midterm follow-up showed a return to baseline scores. No significant difference was found in survival between patients in the autologous and PTFE groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeroen M W
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Donker
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: te Slaa
authors.forename: Jolanda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Gwan H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Paul G H
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: Lijckle
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van der Laan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D048228:Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D053828:Stockings, Compression; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome